With the Easter holidays finally here and summer just around the corner, many of us will be planning trips away in the coming weeks. One important factor you need to consider when flying are the restrictions on liquids you can bring in your hand luggage and duty free products.
Currently airports across the UK are in the process of installing new security scanners which will bring an end to the 100ml limit on liquids in hand luggage. Some airports are expected to have the new systems up and running this summer, meeting the Government’s nominal deadline of June 1 for major airports to bring in the system.
However, scanners will not be fully rolled out at Manchester Airport until next year.This means passengers travelling through Manchester Airport must stick to the 100ml limit on hand luggage limits. You can read more about the rules on liquids in your cabin bags here.
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Once passengers pass through security, many will go on to purchase additional liquids airside, from 500ml bottles of water to luxury perfumes. While you’re free to bring drinks and toiletries on board your flight, there are rules you need to follow when it comes to duty free liquids.
Duty-free fragrances and alcoholic drinks need to remain in the sealed bag you purchase them in, alongside proof of purchase (this is separate to the 20cm x 20cm sealed bag containing the 100ml liquids you bring through security). Although you may be tempted to have a sip of your new bottle of vodka on board or spritz that perfume, you can’t as it must stay inside the sealed bag until you reach your final destination.
If you’ve got a connecting flight to make, it’s important to note that some countries will not let you carry the duty-free purchases through to your next flight unless they go in your hold luggage - so it's worth checking the rules at your destination before you splash out on a big purchase. There is an exception if both legs of your journey are within the European Union, where you can keep your duty-free items with you as hand luggage, as long as they remain sealed with proof of purchase.
If you’ve bought a duty-free liquid purchase on your outbound flight, then you need to bring it back in your hold luggage for the inbound flight otherwise it won’t be accepted at security. For those who are planning to make a duty-free purchase, the best thing to do is make it on your last stop before arriving at your final destination.
There are also limits on the amount of duty free shopping you can do. Below is the duty free allowance at Manchester Airport:
- Cigarettes - 200
- Cigarillos - 100
- Cigars - 50
- Smoking tobacco - 250g
- Wine, spirits and other liqueurs - 1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22% volume. 2 litres of fortified wine (such as port or sherry), sparkling wine or any other alcoholic drink that's less than 22% volume. 4 litres of wine (not sparkling)
- All other goods (perfume, gifts) - £390
